Jesus’ motivation has to come from within himself – Arteta

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes striker Gabriel Jesus will have a more lasting impact on his team if he motivates himself rather than relying on others.

Jesus struggled at times last season.

Injuries played a part, but the Brazilian scored just four Premier League goals last season, and none in 13 appearances in all competitions after netting against Nottingham Forest on January 30.

The 27-year-old was omitted from his country’s squad for the Copa America, a blow considering he has been part of the Brazil squad for all four previous major tournaments as well as winning the Olympics in 2016.

Jesus caught the eye with a standout contribution in Arsenal’s 2-1 pre-season win over Manchester United in Los Angeles.

This suggests that he has a burning desire to prove his doubters wrong.

If so, Arteta feels Jesus would be using the wrong motivational tool.

“The motivation has to come from within himself, with his demands on himself and how much he is capable of improving the team,” the Gunners boss said. “He has shown that. He has transformed the energy and belief in that team and he has achieved that.”

“If he is waiting for something external to motivate him, it will be for a very short period.

“If it’s something internal that’s happening, it’s going to last longer and be consistent.”